Explore the Store: Matcha Green Tea
Do you find yourself buying the same things when you are grocery shopping? Want to spice things up? Well, welcome to Explore the Store! Each week a new item found at your local grocery store will be featured.
The feature of the week is matcha green tea!
What is matcha green tea?
Matcha comes from the same plant as green tea and uses the whole tea leaf. The leaf is specially grown and harvested for powdered tea. To get a very fine powder, the leaf is ground down; this way, fewer nutrients are lost during processing. The powders are light green and usually come in a tea bag or as a loose powder.
What does matcha green tea taste like?
Matcha green tea has a very bitter taste when consumed alone. Most often, this powder is used in hot water for tea or combined with milk for a green tea latte.
Potential health benefits
Matcha has similar health benefits to green tea, but in a more concentrated form. Matcha is higher in antioxidants than standard green tea, particularly catechins which contribute to healthy arteries, cellular repair, and fighting inflammation. One cup (8oz) of standard matcha, made from 4 teaspoons of powder, contains about 280mg of caffeine as compared to 35mg of caffeine in a cup of green tea.
How much does it cost?
- Kroger – $4.87, Private Selection Matcha Green Tea Latte Mix (10 servings)
- Walmart – $6.98, Matcha Latte Mix
- Amazon, $12.99, Organic Matcha Green Tea
Give matcha green tea a try!
No special equipment is needed to make matcha. It can be prepared as a hot tea, iced latte, or in a smoothie. Want to follow along as we make a matcha smoothie in the UHC Nutrition Kitchen? Check out our blog and how-to video!
Have you tried matcha green tea?
Let us know your favorite way to use matcha in the comments or tag us @UGAHealthCenter!
References:
Written by: Rebecca Reese, dietetics practicum student in the UHC Health Promotion Department